Released in Spring 2014, this is one of two Distiller's Reserve single malt whiskies from Suntory in Japan. This single malt from the Yamazaki distillery is jam-packed with superb red berry notes, gained from the whisky being matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. It also features malt matured in Mizunara casks, adding subtle fragrant oak notes.
Classic Yamazaki strawberries and dried fruits with floral notes coming from the Mizunara cask whisky. Fragrant sandalwood and maybe coconut. Certainly a whisky where you could get lost in its nose!
The dried berries remain lively on the palate (it even develops some raspberry notes along the way), but they're dialled back a bit to make room for light oak, white peach and a small amount of spice.
Vanilla lasts and lasts, with spicy but sweet cinnamon acting as a final flourish.
Top quality Japanese whisky, and excellent value too. Can't go wrong with this, really.
Ok
Great whisky - nice sherry and complexity
I have had the 12 and 18 and this one is very disappointing
Very good and high quality whisky
It's good for the price but it's only relative in taste. There is more psychology behind the nose and palate. Everyone is hopping on the bandwagon putting his/her nose further up the rear of the person who commented before them. It's a good solid dram but nothing near amazing. The Yama 12 is far more complex to me but a good friend of mine from Japan just chuckles when I talk about it. She says there is stuff out there that even Jim Murray himself can't grasp. Heavy!!!
